The Padres and Blue Jays are engaged in ongoing discussions about a trade that would send Marcus Stroman to San Diego, sources told MLB.com, although there was no tangible progress toward a deal as of Saturday night.
The Padres are determined to add at least one more starting pitcher this offseason and have one of the best farm systems in baseball from which to trade. While San Diego's most elite prospects -- Fernando Tatis Jr., MacKenzie Gore and Francisco Meija -- likely won't be sent to the Blue Jays if a deal is completed, pitching prospects Michel Baez and/or Logan Allen could be involved.
Baez is the No. 7-ranked prospect in the Padres' farm system, according to MLB Pipeline, while Allen ranks eighth.
Stroman, 27, is coming off his worst Major League season, in which he pitched to a 5.54 ERA over 102 1/3 innings and missed time due to shoulder fatigue and a blister issue on his right middle finger. But Stroman would benefit from moving to a pitcher-friendly ballpark in the National League West while adding experience to a young San Diego rotation.
Stroman, who was named Most Valuable Player of the 2017 World Baseball Classic, won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season.